1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for disposing of a used thermal stencil master sheet and a process for disposing of the same. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus for disposing of a used thermal stencil master sheet (hereinafter referred to as waste stencil) in a superior disposing efficiency and with secret-retainability, and a process for disposing of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a thermal stencil master sheet obtained by laminating a thermoplastic resin film onto a porous substrate such as a porous thin paper and further providing a release agent layer on the surface of the film for preventing melt-adhesion of the film to a manuscript or a thermal head. In the case where stencil making is carried out using such a thermal stencil master sheet, a manuscript is closely attached onto the surface of the film of the stencil master sheet, followed by irradiating infrared rays or a xenon flash light thereto from the side of the perforated substrate of the thermal stencil master sheet to generate heat at the black image part of the manuscript, melt-perforating the film of the thermal stencil master sheet by the generated heat and thereafter stripping the manuscript from said stencil master sheet. Alternatively, the image of a manuscript is read by an image sensor, followed by melt-perforating the film of said stencil master sheet by the heat of thermal head just as the image is. Recently, the thermal stencil master sheet which is perforated by means of thermal head is rapidly prevailing because of its convenience in making even digital images.
However, printing using thermal stencil master sheets is often carried out in where many lots or jobs require only a small number of prints of each stencil master. As such, a large quantity of waste stencils are formed, so that a large space is required for encasing them. Further, when the above master sheet has been printed, there are many cases where secret retention is required for like examination papers at school, etc., so that it is the present status that a special care is required for disposal of such waste stencil.